The Guardians
by Polley9
Summary: A secret meant to never be brought to light will change the lives of every one at NCIS. New story! I'm really looking forward to your feed back. Let me know if I should continue or not. this is also an angst, family/friendship, and adventure story. It is also centered around Gibbs, Tony, and Ducky but will have the rest of the team playing major parts as well.
1. Prologue

The Guardians

Disclaimer—I do not own.

Prologue

Tony ignored the bickering of his teammates. They were constantly arguing over one thing or another. He was just about to tell them to shut up when Gibbs blew through the office calling out behind him. "Directors office now!"

McGee stuttered as he said, "A. . . All of us boss?"

Gibbs stopped at the foot of the stairs and said, "No McGee, I just felt like saying it."

Tony smiled as he quickly followed behind his boss. The others were quick to trail behind him as they all traveled up wards. Something in the bullpen caught Tony's eye so he veered away from the group and stopped to take a look at it. There in the middle of the pen were three very official looking people. One, who was most definitely the leader was tall and looked around officiously, studying their desks and work areas. The other two were definitely his lackeys and followed him around at a respectable distance.

Tony couldn't place it, but he was sure he knew the leader from somewhere, he just couldn't remember. Tony shook off the feeling of foreboding and slowly followed the others into the conference room. He stopped suddenly and looked around. Their team wasn't the only team there. Balboas team was also there, as were Ducky and Jimmy and Abby.

Tony quickly went over all the facts in his mind and realized that all the people in the room had recently worked a case together about two months ago. He wondered if something had come up about the case. He jumped slightly when a voice was cleared right next to him. He looked up to find everyone in the room looking at him expectantly. He looked to Gibbs who gestured and said, "Yah gonna sit DiNozzo?"

Tony smiled sheepishly saying, "Sure thing boss."

Once Tony was seated Vance stood up and said, "Ok, all of you that are here now worked on the Larsen case a month ago. . ."

"Did something go wrong with the case?" interrupted Abby as she leaned forward on the table.

Vance shook his head saying, "Not at all. It would appear that while you were all working in this case you all came into contact with a very powerful guardian. He is a reader who works for the government to search out any missed guardians and he couldn't be certain of whom, but one of you is apparently one also."

The whole room was in shock. Every one began throwing glances at each other, except for Tony who sat as straight and stiff as a pillar. His thoughts were racing a millions miles a minute. He couldn't believe his secret; which he had been hiding for years, had essentially just been exposed. Guardians; they were supposed to be an urban legend, a myth. An unreachable scientific feat; until thirty years ago when the whole world discovered that a secret government group had successfully been performing genetic experiments on such people since the early fifties.

Once the world had discovered them it became a political nightmare and human rights activist where instantly up in arms. Governments were under political fire and where facing serious repercussions. So as fast as they could, they set up programs for the guardians to help them integrate into society. They got jobs and were educated, they received free healthcare and automatically had all their expenses paid by the government as compensation.

They also became celebrities and soon their unique powers where sought after by mercenaries and terrorist and other governments. Guardians were actually being kidnapped and forced into using their gifts for unspeakable acts. So government's worldwide agreed that guardians needed to be marked and monitored for their own safety. So every guardian known to them was implanted with a tracking device and marked with a special tattoo to indicate their specific gift. In addition the governments' put in place a screening protocol since so many Guardians had integrated into society and had children of their own by this time. Every one had to be screened to see if they were guardians. A guardians gifts start to manifest themselves around the first grade. So every child who was entering school underwent testing. If they were found to be a guardian they were immediately tagged and marked and then enrolled in a special program developed by the government.

Tony dragged his attention back to the director in time for him to hear him say, ". . . Now settle down! If whoever it is would like to come forward now and save us some trouble later, that would be advisable or we can do this the hard way and have the reader come in here and scan you all."

Vance waited what seemed like hours to Tony and when no one came forward he sighed and said, "Alright then I guess Mr. Krandle is going to be coming in."

Vance nodded to his assistant Cynthia who stepped out of the room and then minutes later came back leading the same three men that Tony had seen down in the bullpen.

Tony instantly began focusing all of his power on visualizing his abilities into a box and closing the lid on them. It was a technique his mother had taught him when he was younger and had first started displaying his abilities. He held his breath as Mr. Krandle walked around the room slowly making his way over to Vance. He stopped and lingered for just a second between Gibbs and Tony's chairs. Tony held his breath and concentrated even harder on his technique. A wave of relief washed over him as the man finally moved on. Tony could feel the relief wash over him as the man moved on, though he still stared straight ahead not looking at any one, afraid that of he did they would be able to tell his secret. He increased his focus on his technique making sure that he was bearing down firmly on the lid. He jolted back to awareness when Vance said, "Alright everyone except agents Gibbs and DiNozzo may leave."

Tony could feel his stomach drop. A fine sheet of sweat broke out on his skin and he suddenly found that he was having trouble swallowing. 'No' he thought to himself, 'This can't be happening.' He had worked so hard and had done everything in his ability to keep his secret, a secret. What did this mean for his job now? He knew that most guardians didn't work in law enforcement. It wasn't unheard of, just very uncommon. Most agencies didn't want the added hassle of having a guardian as an agent. There were certain rules and guidelines that had to be adhered to strictly, not just for the agency but for the guardian as well. Things like extra physicals for the guardian and they had to be marked with a special tattoo and then have a locating device implanted, and the team working with the guardian was required to have extra training and other various things and the guardian was never allowed out in the field if they were hired they were always, always a desk agent.

It was quiet in the conference room for quite a long time as the occupants waited for one of the others to speak. After what seemed like ages Mr. Krandle stepped forward saying, "I am truly sorry for this horrible inconvenience. But as you know the guidelines regarding guardians are very clear and need to be followed to the letter for the safety of the guardian and all those around them. So that being that. Agent DiNozzo, why don't you begin by telling me how you've been able to hide your powers? Surely you were tested when you were younger."

Tony put on his best mega watt smile and said, "I think you have me confused with some one else. I am not a Guardian. I have no powers."

Mr. Krandle shook his head and said, "Please! Agent DiNozzo, I am one of the best readers in the United States and I take my job seriously. Now. Be honest and tell us the truth."

Tony set his jaw firmly and focused his attention on to the table. He kept his gaze steady as he envisioned his box buried under a mountain of rocks. He was so focused that the next question caught him off guard.

"So tell me agent DiNozzo when did you receive your current injuries?"

Tony's eyes grew to the size of saucers as he said in a voice that was barley audible, "I . . . I don't know what your talking about!"

It would have sounded better if he could have managed to put a little more force behind his voice, make it sound more powerful and sincere, but as it was it confirmed the mans statement that there was indeed some sort of injury. Gibbs finally stood up and grabbing his agent by the shoulder turned him so that he was facing him and said, "Come on DiNozzo out with it."

Tony looked Gibbs in the eye and silently pleaded with him to not do this right now.

Before Gibbs could make up his mind of whether or not to push Tony into answering him. Mr. Krandle spoke up from behind, "He currently has some broken ribs, a concussion, and I would check out his wrist. I can not at this moment tell you if it is broken; because he is blocking me, but there is a definite possibility."

Gibbs sighed and shook his head saying, "Leon you better get Ducky up here."

Tony slumped down even further into his chair. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that the people left in the room were all looking directly at him. He suddenly became aware of a strange sensation. It felt as though there was some invisible force flowing freely through his body. He could feel it in his mind, searching for his box and then gently tugging at it getting ready to open it. Tony began to panic a little and tried with all of his might to prevent the box from opening, but he was just a fraction of a second too late and the invader was able to open the box just enough that the power came rushing out.

Tony jumped up from his chair yelling, "STOP!" but he was to late. The power instantly flooded through his body giving him such a rush of energy that it overwhelmed him and stole his breath away throwing him backwards into the far wall. It continued to surge out across the room like a force field and knocked every one back as well. Apparently the other man had not been expecting that either because he was leaning heavily on the wall gasping for breath and looking at Tony in complete shock. Tony was the first to recover him self, he grimaced as he slowly pushed himself up the wall using it for support and said, "_You should have asked_! You had _NO_ right. Do you realize what you have done?"

With that Tony pushed his way out of the room making it inside the elevator with the doors closed before his body gave out and he collapse to the floor. He left the rest of them in the room speechless with shock and wonder. After a few minutes of silence Mr. Krandle asked reverently, "Do you have any idea what you have?"

Vance turned a questioning eye towards him and said, "No. Why don't you enlighten us?"

"That . . . That man is a very, very powerful healer. I have _never_ come across one as powerful as him."

The rest of the room stood in silence trying to absorb it all. Ducky coming into the room asking, "What in all that is holy is going on here?" interrupted their shocked silence. "I just saw Anthony rush out to the elevator, and he did not look well Jethro."

Gibbs shook his head and letting out an expletive rushed out of the room as well. He ran through the onlookers and the oglers. He pushed past the gapers and whisperers. He raced down the stairs all the way to the ground level parking and burst out the stairwell door in time to see DiNozzo stumble and collapse against his car. Gibbs swore again as he rushed over to DiNozzo's side. He fell to his knees next to his agent. He finally took a good look at his agent for the first time that day, and what he saw did not make him very happy. His agent did not look good at all, he had a fine layer of sweat covering his skin, he was breathing hard, and favoring his right side, "Damn it DiNozzo!" Exclaimed Gibbs one more time when he realized that, that tumble he took with the suspect the other day wasn't just a little tumble. Gibbs shook his head. 'How did his agent manage to keep all this from them? Hell he had even gone two rounds in the ring just the other morning.'

Gibbs was brought out of his thoughts when he was pushed aside by Ducky and Mr. Krandle. Gibbs instantly went into defensive mode and pulled Mr. Krandle back saying, "Oh no you don't. Don't you think you have caused enough trouble as it is?"

"Agent Gibbs don't you think that if I could I would change how things went? I can feel what this man means to you and your team. And I can feel what you mean to him. But all that aside he is a very special person with a very powerful and special gift and as much as you or he may not like it right now I am trained in how to deal with these kinds of things and on top of that I am also a medical doctor who knows how to treat people like him. I _can _help."

Gibbs seemed thoughtful for a second before he said, "Fine but the minute he says so you're gone."

The man wisely just nodded and the turned back to Ducky and Tony. Gibbs stood of to the side and watched as the two doctors did what they could, before the ambulance had even arrived Tony was awake again and arguing about the necessity of going to the hospital, "Ducky!" He exclaimed, "I'm fine! I don't need to go!"

Ducky just shook his head and firmly stated, "Regardless of whether or not you are physically need to go to the hospital, I am afraid the guidelines state that even if you are only suspected to have guardian abilities you must go to the hospital and have the necessary test performed."

Gibbs was shocked when Tony started banging his head on the pavement and letting out small inarticulate sounds. Before he even knew what he was doing Gibbs found himself by his agent's side gently holding his head to stop him from causing any more damage. Tony looked up into his bosses eyes and silently pleaded for him to fix it somehow. Gibbs sighed and said, "Listen to me DiNozzo. I'm gonna go with you and I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Tony shook his head and said, "You won't be able to stop him when he finds me."

"Who? When who finds you?"

"I can't say his name boss. But now that it's out he will find me and he will come for me. That's why I can't go to the hospital it will just make it easier for him to get to me."

Gibbs was about to ask him what he meant, but saw that Tony had closed down. He saw the far away look in his eyes. Saw how his face was emotionless. It frightened Gibbs when the only reaction they got out of Tony was when the paramedics stated that he was dehydrated and that they needed to start an IV. Tony instantly freaked out and only calmed when Gibbs forced the medics to back a good twenty feet away.

After they got Tony calmed down they decided that they would take him to the hospital in Gibbs's car. While they helped Tony up off the ground Gibbs and Ducky exchanged worried glances as their friend moved with an air of depression.

* * *

Hey guys I would like to say thanks to my beta CALLEN37 and that I would really appreciate some feedback about this story. So even if its good, bad or somewhere in between I want to know. Thanks and enjoy.


	2. Chapter One

Hey y'all I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the awesome reviews! I don't think i have ever had that many reviews for one chapter before. It was awesome! Also thanks to my beta. I also went back and fixed some of the errors from the first chapter. If you find more in this chapter don't be afraid to let me know. I hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer—I don't own.

Chapter One

The hospital

Gibbs and Ducky stood back against the wall of the exam room were several government employed Doctors were currently going over every inch of his SFA's physical and mental health with a fine-tooth comb. Tony for his part had maintained his depressed state. He was almost to the point of being catatonic and the doctors were seriously discussing taking drastic measures. Gibbs had only seen his agent like this one time before and it had given him a mighty scare at the time. The only way he had been able to bring DiNozzo out of his trans was by head slapping him.

Gibbs was no fool he could spot a coping mechanism with the best of them. He just hadn't realized that _what_ his friend and partner had been coping with was so serious, and at that moment he was willing to try anything to get his SFA to respond. He just didn't think the doctors in the room would appreciate his technique all that much. Though once he heard words like psych ward, and psychotropic medicines he knew he had to step in.

He pushed himself away from the wall and threaded his way through the crowd of doctors. He finally managed to come face to face with his friend and the sight that greeted him made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Tony sat on the exam table shirtless and completely withdrawn into himself. His head was down and his shoulders were slumped. You could hardly tell that he was breathing.

Gibbs got level with his SFA's face and raising a hand quickly and forcefully delivered a head slap. He heard the gasps around the room and the cry's of outrage but he ignored it all because the reaction he got out of DiNozzo was exactly what he had been hoping for. At first Tony reacted as though he had been struck by lightning. He jumped about a foot off the table and then looked wildly around the room, as if he didn't know where he was. He wearily eyed the group of still shocked doctors and then after a minute of surveying his surroundings he finally looked at his boss and with a confused expression on his face asked, "Boss why am I here?"

That Gibbs had not been expecting. He sighed heavily and asked, "Tony what do you remember?"

Tony appeared to be thinking hard for a minute and then slowly said, "Um . . . I . . . remember . . . I remember the meeting with Vance and the team. Then . . ."

He trailed off as the memories came flooding back to him. He grabbed his boss' hand and urgently said, "Gibbs I have to get out of here! I can't stay here he'll find me!"

Gibbs knew he had to get some kind of information from Tony before things got too out of hand. He gently took his SFA by the face, forcing him to look him in the eye and concentrate. He made sure he maintained eye contact with Tony while he spoke, "Tony I need to know whom _he _is. I need you to tell me what you are talking about."

Tony closed his eyes trying to keep the past in the past. He knew he couldn't really do that now, but every instinct that he had honed into almost perfection was screaming at him to some how deploy evasive maneuvers. Taking a deep breath he looked at his boss and said, "His name is, or I should say was Dr. Franks. I say was because he might have changed it. I . . . can't really go into the details right now boss but . . . he . . . used to do experiments on me . . . and . . . and he was really angry when I escaped boss and he swore he would never stop looking for me."

To say that every one in the room was shocked would be an understatement. They were beyond shocked they were downright horrified.

Tony opened his mouth to speak but then closing it shook his head. All he wanted was to go home and take a hot shower. He couldn't believe how much he hurt. His head ached, his ribs were making it really hard to draw in a breath and his wrist was beyond throbbing. He looked around one more time, avoiding all the medical personal before looking solely at Gibbs and asking, "Can I leave yet?"

Everyone but Gibbs and Ducky were shocked by this whole scenario. It was clear that the _Guardian_ was not well! And yet he was, wanting to leave! Gibbs just shook his head, while Ducky jumped in saying, "You most certainly can not! You have some very serious injuries that must be treated in addition to everything else."

Tony just scrunched up his face saying, "Aww come on Ducky I'm good! seriously! It's been a couple of days since it's happened. I haven't passed out and obviously I haven't fallen into a coma. Really I'm good."

Tony had refrained from using his standard 'I'm fine', knowing that it would only serve to alert them to how un-fine he was at the moment. He knew that he couldn't just forget about everything that could happen but he was hoping that he could at least skip over most of the medical stuff.

Ducky threw his hands up in the air in exasperation exclaiming, "Honestly! Jethro talk some sense into the lad!"

Gibbs looked at Ducky with a look of incredulity and said seriously, "And tell him what Duck? That if he cooperates he'll eventually get to go home! That he might still have his job? That things aren't gonna change?"

Tony looked shocked at Gibbs and grabbed his shirt and demanded with panic in his eyes, "What do you mean!? You firing me Boss?"

Gibbs cursed himself for his loose tongue. He turned to Tony and said, "Hell _NO_ DiNozzo! You're not going anywhere if I can help it. But Tony you and I both know that they don't like to let Guardians work in law enforcement. Especially healers like yourself."

Tony let go of Gibbs' shirt and looked down at his hands. He hadn't been thinking about all of that. The rules and guidelines were very specific for Guardians. Gibbs was right; they were monitored extremely closely. There was never a time when a Guardian wasn't being monitored. The Government claimed that it was for their protection, but Tony was inclined to believe that it was a very deliberate invasion of privacy.

He laid himself back on the bed and threw his good arm over his eyes. He was beginning to hyperventilate. He felt hands touching him and went to throw them off, but was stopped by a firm grip on his arm. Tony looked up into his boss's face and seeing the look of empathy there. It suddenly all became too much for him. He broke down. His sobs were quiet, frame wracking, breath hitching as he released years of tension and pent up emotion.

An Hour Later:

Tony lay on the bed in a state of half awareness. He was so damn tired. He had just spent the last fifteen minutes covertly ringing up his fathers' old defense lawyer. He never did understand why his father let Hotch go. But then again he didn't understand half of what his father did and had stopped trying to figure him out a long time ago.

Tony thought back to earlier before he had made his call. To what had made him decide to make his call.

-FLASH BACK-

_"What the HELL do you think your doing!?" Yelled Tony when the group of doctors brought out what looked like torture instruments from the dark ages and had begun to prepare them for use. _

_The lead doctor looked up in confusion saying, "We are preparing to start the marking and tagging processes. It's a requirement for your protection as set forth by the Guardians act."_

_Tony moved himself further away from the evil looking devices and forcefully said, "There is NO WAY in HELL that you are getting anywhere near me with that crap! I have rights as a citizen of the Unites States and as a human being. You will not touch me with any of that!"_

_The doctor just rolled his eyes and looking towards the male nurses that had accompanied them into the room saying; "Looks like your going to have to hold him down."_

_They were instantly upon him trying to subdue him. Tony used all of his superior senses and all of his hand-to-hand combat training with Gibbs to his advantage. He hated to sound so helpless but as he fought to free himself he called out; "Gibbs! Gibbs help! Help me!"_

_He hoped to whatever god was out there that his link to Gibbs was open enough for Gibbs to hear him; he had never tried an empathic link until he had met Gibbs and he wasn't sure he had done right. As fate would have it no more than a minute later Gibbs and Ducky along with Dr. Krandle came running into the room. Gibbs managed to pull both nurses off his agent just as he collapsed from exhaustion. Gibbs threw both men away from the bed and pulled his gun standing protectively in front of it. Ducky and Dr. Krandle stood on either side of it trying to calm a hyperventilating Tony. _

_After a few minutes of complete silence Gibbs ground out. "Would any of you care to explain just what the hell you were trying to do to my agent?"_

-END FLASH BACK-

The doctors had been sufficiently scared of Gibbs and had left never to come back. Dr. Krandle and Ducky took over Tony's medical care from then on.

About an hour after the incident Gibbs, Ducky and Dr. Krandle were called out into the hallway by the director of the hospital for a meeting, along with the official government representative for the Guardians.

While everyone had vacated the room Tony had taken that time to call Hotch his dads' old lawyer.

-FLASH BACK-

_"Hello?"_

_"Hotch? This is Tony Jr."_

_"Junior! How's it going? How's your old man? He's not in trouble is he?"_

_"No Hotch but I'm in a little bit of a pickle. You still do defense don't you?"_

_"Yah. But why do you need me?"_

_"Look I can't talk about it over the phone. I can pay you with the money my mom left me. Can you come help me? I'm at Bethesda Hospital."_

_There was silence, as the man on the other end seemed to think for a few minutes before he said, "Yah I'll help you Tony. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Sit tight and don't say or do anything till I get there. "_

_Tony let out a deep breath saying, "Thanks Hotch and you might wanna brush up on your Guardian law."_

-End Flash Back-

With that he had closed the phone and lay back on then bed settling in for the wait. He was just about to doze off when the door to his room opened. Tony could feel Gibbs sliding soundlessly into the room. With out opening his eyes Tony asked, "How's it going boss?"

He could tell that he had surprised Gibbs with his question but also that Gibbs had hidden his surprise well. He sighed and said, "Not as well as it could be. Tony they are considering some very serious options."

Tony just snorted saying; "Let them try! I am still a human and a citizen of the United States I have rights regardless of what my DNA says. Besides my lawyer is gonna be here soon and they can talk to him."

Gibbs was more than a little shocked to see his SFA acting this way. He stood there for once at a loss for words. Tony just looked back at him steadily; never letting his eyes wander. After a few minutes of just starring at each other Gibbs finally asked, "What's really going on here Tony?"

Tony knew that it would be long before Gibbs would start demanding answers. Taking a deep breath he tried to keep his emotions under control as he shakily began, "When I was a kid, I always wondered why I wasn't more like other kids. My mother was supper protective of me and would hardly let me do anything that could in any way cause me harm. I mean even going out side was a huge deal. I had to play gently and not get too excited! I always wondered why? Why was I treated like a porcelain doll? I was never sick so I knew it wasn't because of that. I was homeschooled and even had a private physician."

Tony stopped and Gibbs being wise to the ways of his agent knew not to interrupt, though he was seriously beginning to wonder where this story was going. But knowing Tony never said anything that wasn't important in some way to the story, made sure to store all of this information away for a later date.

And true to form Tony started to talk again. "It wasn't until I was about six that I found out what she had been so desperate to keep hidden. She was a guardian and apparently so is my father. I now understand why he drank so much. The things they experienced boss . . ." Tony shuddered and then taking a deep breath said, "A few years before she died; We had been in a car accident, and since it was so traumatic it caused my gene to activate sooner than normal. After . . . after that she and I would spend hours practicing the shielding technique and other ways to control my powers. When she died she made me promise that I would never reveal what I truly was."

Tony stopped again and this time his voice became flat and he stared off into space noticing no one and nothing. "After she passed . . . he; my father, went kinda crazy. I guess I was too much of a reminder of what he had experienced and what he had lost. Anyways he forged all of my papers and sent me to boarding school. This was huge for me boss. I had never been away from my parents before and to suddenly loose my mother and then to have my father just dispense of me really sent me for a tailspin. I kept my promise to my mother, but I was so scared and angry with my father that I became reckless and I ended up getting hurt at school. It was pretty serious and I needed a blood transfusion. So they ended up drawing blood and discovering that I was an active guardian. The doctor confronted my father about it and took me away. He threatened my father that if he didn't cooperate with his plan that he would kill me. He took me to a friend of his and they . . . they did things to me. It went on like that until I was about sixteen. A friend that I had made while in captivity helped me escape. She wasn't able to get out herself; she . . . sacrificed herself so that I could make it out."

At this point Tony had stopped talking again and hadn't realized that he had silent tears running down his face. Gibbs came over to him and sitting on the side of the bed did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his senior field agent in a bone-crushing hug. At first Tony didn't respond but after a few seconds he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the solid form and took a few deep shuddering breaths. Gibbs rubbed his hand up and down his back whispering, "Just let it out Tony. Let it out. I'm here and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

He felt Tony nod into his chest and after a minute more pulled away and dried his tears. He looked away from Gibbs saying, "Sorry boss."

Gibbs slapped him on the back of the head saying, "Don't you dare DiNozzo. You have nothing to be sorry about. Just rest and we'll figure this mess out."

Tony looked at Gibbs for a few minutes before quietly nodding and laying back on the bed. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes; he forced his body to relax and within minutes was fast asleep.

TBC


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer—I don't own.

Hey everyone thanks for all the awesome reviews I really enjoyed reading them. Here is the next chapter and I hope that you guys enjoy it as much as the others. So please don't be afraid to send me a review and tell me how I'm doing. Also thanks to my beta.

* * *

Chapter Two

Confused

One Month Later:

Tony sat at his desk with his nose buried in a cold case file, since Vance wouldn't let him out in the field yet, resolutely ignoring the group of people around him.

Gibbs stood off to the side resting against his desk watching the proceedings. He knew that eventually he would have to make his agent cooperate but he certainly wasn't going to force him into anything sooner than he absolutely had to. Looking at his watch he saw with a heavy heart that it was time to go. The judge had told them that they had to be at the center by the time set or DiNozzo's' deal would be revoked and the full measures would be taken. Picking up his car keys he said, "Grab your gear DiNozzo it's time to go."

Unsurprisingly there was no response from his agent. Tony had become more and more reclusive since the final hearing. Gibbs couldn't blame him; Tony had paid a huge price to keep his job and his anonymity, and to pave the way for other Guardians like himself. He was no longer able to live alone, having to have someone with him as an extra form of protection since he absolutely refused to be implanted with a tracker. They had originally wanted him to live at the center, but Tony had refused and all but said that he would go rogue before being subjected to that. They had finally agreed to allow him to live with Gibbs. Tony hadn't been thrilled with that option either, but his choices were limited and he figured that living with Gibbs was the lesser of two evils. What he hadn't expected was for Gibbs to turn the whole second story of his house into Tony's own personal apartment with his own kitchen, living room and dining area, and private entrance. When he saw this and protested Gibbs just shut him down saying, "We both need the space and I don't ever go up there. This way it's not dead space."

He had also been benched from active duty until further notice. The Agency and every other federal agency as well, were having to rewrite all of the guidelines and protocols and didn't want him out in the field until they were set. Plus the whole agency had to be up-to date on the protocol for working with Guardians. In short the whole agency was going through a massive restructuring.

Due to his extensive medical history Tony was being watched very carefully and the judge had ordered that he submit himself for bi-weekly doctor's appointments and psych evaluations. Tony had, had a bigger break down about the routine doctors visits than he did about having to give up his apartment.

Thankfully for Tony the court agreed that his existing doctors, Mallard, Pitt, and Cranston could be trained in Guardian care and maintain their positions as his only physicians; since they had been working with him for so long and already had a good doctor patient relationship built up.

There had been several other things as well and not all of them were bad. Tony no longer had to pay taxes and he was automatically given a stipend from the government for all of his expenses, and he no longer had to carry insurance of any kind. Even though there were the perks, he knew that Tony just wished that everything could be erased and put back to normal.

Gibbs sighed and pushed his way through their government issued entourage.

He glared and growled at all of them in turn and watched with satisfaction when they all backed up like they had been burned. He took the file from Tony and before he could protest and said, "It's time. Yes you absolutely must do everything they ask you to do at the center. No you can't get out of it. Yes Ducky and I are going to be with you. Now please before they call the judge and revoke your deal, let's go and get this over with."

Tony sighed but remained silent as he gathered up his bag and headed towards the elevator with Gibbs right on his heels. As they got on the elevator the security detail also tried to get on with them but Gibbs stopped them physically and said, "He's with me he'll be fine. Take the stairs."

With that he pushed them back and let the doors close. There was more than one reason he had wanted DiNozzo all to himself for a few minutes. He wanted to impress upon his agent the importance of what he was about to do. Not that he thought DiNozzo didn't already understand but he want to make sure just how far reaching the consequences for his actions were going to be. He looked back at his agent and inwardly smiled when he saw that he was more relaxed. He turned around so that he was facing the doors and pushing the emergency stop button said, "You know they are going to be expecting you to be more cooperative at the center."

He only got a huff in return. Taking this as a good sign he forged on. "_I'm_ expecting you to be more cooperative DiNozzo. You're not just representing yourself any more; you're representing every other Guardian out there who has ever been denied a job simply because of a genetic anomaly that they had absolutely no control over. You understand? This isn't just about you anymore. It's a whole lot bigger now. I'm expecting you to represent yourself with every bit of pride, dignity and grace that I know you possess, and not only that, I expect you to represent the whole agency in the same way. It's not just you they're looking at anymore Tony; it's all of us, the whole agency. You have to show them that they haven't made a mistake. Ok?"

Tony took a deep breath and slowly nodded saying, "I got ya boss. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around it."

"I can understand that DiNozzo," replied Gibbs with a nod. "A _lot_ has happened in the last month, but you need to get your act together and make it work. We're depending on you."

Tony nodded again but remained silent.

Gibbs looked at him for a second longer then started the elevator again and waited. Too soon they were arriving at the garage and walking to the car. They had decided to drive in together and leave Tony's car at the house since he wouldn't be coming back for a while. The security detail was already waiting with their cars lined up and ready to go. Tony sighed heavily as he got in the car. Gibbs was going to say something but was cut off when Ducky suddenly arrived saying, "Sorry to be so late Jethro but I had a few last minute things that I needed to take care of."

Gibbs just smiled saying, "That's ok Duck we just got here ourselves."

Ducky nodded quietly sensing that things were a bit tremulous at the moment and decided that fewer words would be better. He quietly got situated and prepared himself for Gibbs's driving. He wasn't disappointed either. As soon as Gibbs was sure that everyone was buckled in and holding on tight he revved the engine and pulled out of his spot like a bat out of purgatory. He looked at his agent from the corner of his eye and saw the slight smile playing on his lips as he watched the government issued vehicles trying to catch up and then struggle to maintain the 'appropriate' distance.

In no time they arrived at the center downtown and Tony was reminded again why he had to have the security detail. With his fight to remain anonymous and untraceable, he had predictably become a national celebrity. The courtroom had been closed and all the names of those involved were blacked out on the official records, as had all of the addresses and places of work. The media was instantly all over the case proclaiming it a human rights case, instantly rocketing it to national recognition.

Since Tony was so well known throughout the agency the court had subpoenaed more than half the employees as character and competency witnesses, they had even had video chats with the agents afloat who could not come in for court. All of them had been better than gold for Tony's case. Each and every one of them sang his praises and proclaimed that they would quit if he wasn't allowed to keep his job. Declaring it an act of bigotry and racism, to keep an obviously talented and valued individual from doing the job, simply because of their genetics.

They had also gone a step further by wearing dark hoodies and covering their faces with hankies as they entered and exited the court house so that there would be no way for any of the multitudes of reporters to capture any of their identities, thus tracing them back to Tony and the agency. All the media knew was that there was a government agency with an unidentified Guardian working for them that they had no idea about.

He was thankfully wearing his hoodie and kept his head down as Gibbs wove his way through the throngs of reporters that crowded the car despite the barriers and policemen that surrounded it. The center had set up a roadblock a mile away in each direction and had with the help of the government shut down all surveillance abilities within that distance as well. Trying to show Tony and his friends that they were doing all they could to support his wishes and gain his trust.

Tony sighed with relief once they made it past the road block and were able to speed up again, going to the back of the center where there was a completely secluded drop off spot. Hesitating when they stopped, Tony looked up at the building and wondered why a place that was supposed to be good for him was giving him such a feeling of dread and doom. He wanted to get back in the car and beg Gibbs to take him far, far away again, but looking at his boss and his friend he knew that no amount of begging would get them to do it. Slowly he made his way towards the building.

Once inside Tony pulled off his hoodie and shoved it into his backpack. He was instantly greeted by Dr. Krandle and his assistant and was led along a winding hallway. Tony nervously looked back and saw that Gibbs and Ducky were just a few feet behind him, easily within reaching distance. He really hated how being in places like this gave him the willies.

He hadn't realized that they had stopped until he ran directly into Dr. Krandles' back. He looked up and mumbled an apology. Dr. Krandle just smiled saying, "That's alright. I was just saying that this will be your suite while you're staying with us. It is just like a small apartment and has everything you need. If for some reason there is something that you need please do not hesitate to call the front desk at any time you want. Now I will give you gentlemen an hour to settle and get unpacked and then we will finish the rest of the tour and get started on all the paperwork. One never realizes how much paperwork is involved with registering a Guardian until you're in the thick of it."

With that he left the men alone. Tony stood there, wanting to open the door but too hesitant to take the next step. He had a million thoughts running through his head and not a one of them were of the positive nature. His hand was held, hesitantly, halfway towards the door. He really wasn't sure just what exactly he was expecting to happen, but for some reason he had a feeling that when he opened the door, it would be the beginning of the end of his life, as he knew it. He had, until just then, been able to pretend to a certain degree that things were still normal. Now though with the opening of the door, it symbolized an acceptance of the changes and Tony was not anywhere near ready to accept any of these changes.

Gibbs finally had decided that they had, had waited long enough. He stepped around Tony and pushed open the door. To Tony the moment was slightly anti-climatic. The room itself looked like one you would see in a magazine ad for a five star hotel; the kind that Donald Trump would have stayed in. Tony slowly walked into the room carefully taking everything in. It had been a long time since he had been in a place quite that nice. At least, not since he was a child travelling with his parents.

He stopped mid step when he noticed both Gibbs and Ducky looking at him intently. It was really creeping him out. He couldn't tell if they were gauging his reaction or trying to peer into his soul. He decided that he needed to get out from under their intense stares before he crumbled under the weight of them. Tony gave a weary smile before gesturing towards a bedroom saying, "I'm just gonna go put my stuff down."

He quickly exited into the hastily chosen room; Grateful to escape that particularly uncomfortable situation. Once he had closed the door behind him he leaned against it and finally looked at the room he had chosen. It had to have been the master bedroom. It was one of the biggest that he had ever seen. The room held what had to be a custom made king size bed, a small refrigerator and mini bar, and a state of the art entertainment center. It was even larger than the one he had at home. He threw his bag on the bed and began to unpack it. He hadn't brought much with him; just a few changes of clothes, some books to read, and his laptop, even though he wasn't allowed contact with any of his teammates until after his initiation and training. He had wanted to bring it as a comfort measure.

After a few minutes when everything he had brought with him was put away. He stood in the middle of the room hesitant about what to do next. He wasn't sure he wanted to go back out into the main area with Gibbs and Ducky just yet, but he wasn't sure he wanted to stay by himself in the room either. After a minutes hesitation Tony finally decided that it would be a good idea to maybe get a nap in before he had to report to Dr. Krandle. Tony involuntarily shivered at the thought and forced his mind to not go any further. He quickly reminded himself that this was not twenty years ago and that these people were not out to dissect him. Plus Gibbs and Ducky were gonna be there and that they wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Slowly he allowed himself to drift off to sleep. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he had stretched out on the bed, his sore muscles complaining slightly. He slowly counted down from ten and felt himself drift off.

~~~NCIS~~~

Three Hours Later:

Tony sat nervously on the edge of the exam table. Unfortunately this was one area where Ducky could not simply step in, although he was there assisting. The center had its own physician who saw to new admittances. Granted though, his patients were usually about twenty-five years younger.

Everything had been going as smoothly as it could until the doctor announced that they had to collect a sample of spinal fluid. Tony had immediately refused. His refusal had instantly caused an uproar leading to the doctor standing out in the hallway arguing with Gibbs, Ducky, and Dr. Krandle. Tony understood the implications of refusing to allow the procedure to be done, but . . . he just couldn't.

So here he was on the exam table waiting for his fate to be delivered to him. He watched through the window as the four men discussed him. Tony knew he was being irrational. He could handle almost any kind of medical test they could think to give him. He had been able to compartmentalize his traumatic experiences so that no one would suspect. All but a few, and he cursed them for having to do the very one that he absolutely could not stand to have performed on him.

Tony fidgeted with the sheet covering his lap; it was a nervous habit of his that came out only when he was at his very lowest and right then he was feeling extremely vulnerable. He looked up briefly and saw that the group had come to an agreement and that Gibbs was now heading towards the room. Tony quickly hid his face by looking down and concentrating on playing with the sheet fisted in his hands.

He heard Gibbs come into the room and sensed that he had come to a stop in front of him. They stayed there in silence neither one speaking. Finally Gibbs cleared his throat and said, "You wanna explain?"

Tony just shook his head. _No, _he didn't want to explain, but he knew that if Gibbs pushed hard enough he would. Gibbs must have figured that as well since the next words out if his mouth were the very ones Tony was praying he would never hear him ask, "Why not Tony?"

Tony just shrugged and returned, "Why not what boss? Why won't I let them or why won't I tell you why I won't let them?"

"Both Tony."

A heavy sigh escaped the young man and his shoulders, which were already slumped, drooped even further. Finally he said, "I . . . I just can't stand it boss. I can't stand to talk about it and I can't stand to have it done. I'm sorry boss but I just can't. Please don't ask me too."

"There isn't an option Tony. You _have to_ do this."

Gibbs could read the fear in his young partner's posture and he wished more than anything that he didn't have to do this but he had to. Plain and simple; No if's, and's, or but's about it. Gibbs was just thankful that Dr. Krandle and his staff were being so accommodating and understanding.

Gibbs finally nodded his head towards the window, signaling for Ducky and the center doctor to come in. He took a deep breath and raising Tony's face so that he could look him in the eye said, "They're gonna let Ducky do the procedure." Gibbs saw the instant the argument began to form and stopped it before Tony could get it going. "We don't have a choice Tony." Seeing the fear in his face made Gibbs feel even worse and trying to offer some support patted him on the cheek saying, "It'll be over before you know it, kiddo".

Tony nodded, but was feeling less than reassured. He could feel his throat tightening and heart rate skyrocket as Ducky wiped at the puncture site with the cold antiseptic.

Tears burned at Tony's eyes, and he looked back up at Gibbs, hoping and wishing, _praying_ that his boss would change his mind and let him out of this.

"Please?" He whispered in a last ditch effort to get out of this situation. "Don't make me do this."

But Gibbs just shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder saying, "It'll be alright Tony" while squeezing his shoulder lightly. "You know they wouldn't be doing it, if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

Tony nodded, but Gibbs's reassurances did little to actually ease his paranoia.

He jumped a little when Ducky tapped on his back saying, "I need you to lean forward now Anthony."

Tony swallowed. Images from his childhood suddenly began to swim before his eyes and for the briefest of moments, he thought about making a run for it. But Gibbs tightened the hold on his shoulder, as if he knew what he was thinking, and nudged him forward until his forehead rested against his chest.

Tony tried to take deep breaths, but his fear was threatening to overwhelm him.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't breathe! He knew he was gonna suffocate if he didn't get away right then.

Before he could move to pull away though, he felt a hand on the back of his head, holding him even closer and he tried to focus on that instead of the needle and the gruesome images, as Gibbs began to run his fingers through his hair.

"Relax Anthony", Gibbs mumbled into his ear.

Tony nodded and pressing his forehead harder into the broad chest, took a deep breath and then slowly released it as Ducky put the needle to his back.

"Alright now," said Ducky, "don't move Anthony", and Tony nodded his understanding against Gibbs' chest.

As soon as the sharp pain hit him he immediately shot his hands out, gripping onto Gibbs' shirt, gasping at the pain, which was only increased by his apprehension.

He was grateful as Gibbs continued to stroke his hair back, giving him something to focus on as he heard him whisper "Almost over son. Just hang in there a little longer", Gibbs said quietly.

And it only took another thirty seconds before he felt the sharp pain of the needle retreating from his spine.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, doing his best to calm down from his ridiculous fear.

Gibbs continued to let him lean against him, while continuing to run his fingers through his hair. After a few minutes when Ducky and the other doctor cleaned up a little and put a bandage over the puncture site. Ducky finally tapped Tony on the shoulder saying, "Alright now Anthony you may lay down. You are going to be quite sore for a while and you absolutely must stay lying down for at least four hours."

Tony who had yet to release his hold on Gibbs just nodded his understanding. At the moment he couldn't really be bothered to care. Finally Gibbs initiated the move and Tony followed his lead, hissing as he stretched out straight on the table.

It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to be while recuperating. But Tony figured that if laid there for a while that he could eventually talk someone in to letting him go back to his room early.

~~~NCIS~~~

Two Hours Later:

Tony sat gingerly on the side of the bed. He had forgotten how incredibly sore you got after a spinal tap. He was sure that having been so tense during the whole procedure hadn't helped matters any. He was just about to bend over when the door opened and both Ducky and Dr. Krandle came rushing in. Tony groaned in annoyance. He really should have remembered that they were observing him closely, but all he had been able to think about was getting back to his suite so that he could lie on a more comfortable bed. Now though he was sure that he was in for a scolding.

Sure enough the first words out of Ducky's mouth were; "What do you think you're doing Anthony!"

Tony smiled tightly as he maneuvered himself stiffly to the edge of the bed. "I am going back to my suite so that I can lie down on something more comfortable Ducky."

Ducky sighed and shook his head saying, "Anthony I know that you have had this procedure done before and I know that you know the routine for it as well. You cannot get up and walk around!"

"Wasn't planning on walking Duck," Tony replied with a small smile and the nod of his head towards the wheel chair in the corner.

Ducky shook his head and was about to start a lecture when Dr. Krandle stepped in saying, "That's alright Agent DiNozzo. I actually have a room set up for the next part of your admission process it has a very comfortable futon that you can rest on. Would that be advisable?"

Tony looked skeptically at the man asking, "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

Dr. Krandle motioned for Tony to sit before he said, "I can sympathize with your fear Tony. I too have suffered my fair share of medical research." He gently began pushing the wheel chair out of the room, once Tony was situated saying, "We at the clinic don't want to make you feel like you did when you were held captive. We want you to see this as a safe place to be in case you ever need us. We hold no grudges because you don't want to live here Tony. If half the people had, had the chance to lead as normal a life as you have, they wouldn't be here either. But they can't, not yet anyways. What you have done and are doing, is paving the way for the rest of us. So no, we don't hold it against you that you are slightly aggressive and withdrawn. No one and I do mean no one ever expected you to be able to go through this without some issues cropping up. We just want to make the transition as smooth as possible and if that mean we rearrange some things then that's fine."

They had come to the room and Dr. Krandle had with Ducky's help, situated a very stiff Tony onto the futon. Tony for his part let a sigh of relief at the softer surface. Dr. Krandle smiled and said, "I'll leave you to rest Tony. Ducky said he would sit here with you. I hope that this works better for you."

With that the doctor left making sure to close the door behind him. Tony sighed and to no one in particular, "I guess I need to give him more credit and try and stop thinking of him as the bad guy."

Ducky nodded in approval before saying, "A wise choice Anthony. Although no can really blame you for those feelings seeing as he was the original cause of all of this . . . Upheaval. But I dare say that it would be in everyone's best interest if you could perhaps be less circumspect around them."

Tony nodded and sighed again. He really was too tired to deal with all of that right then. He felt as if his brain was being overloaded, his sleeping was all messed up and because of the lack of good restful sleep and the constant stress he was under; he couldn't seem to stop himself from experiencing major mood swings. All in all he was a mess and it didn't look to be getting any better. He closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep. He figured that every little bit helped.

TBC . . .


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Hey everyone; I want to say a big thank you to my awesome beta CALLEN37 all of your hard work is truly appreciated. Also I wanted to say a big thank you to all of you who left your wonderful reviews last time. I was so thrilled to have such positive feedback =D I also want to address a few questions that came to my attention.

1st. To guest number one; I can understand how you would want Gibbs to 'save the day' but it's not time for that, yet. Rest assured that the pace will pick up and that there will be lots of angst and hurt/comfort to come.

2nd. To guest number two; To clarify Guardians are considered to be like celebrities known where ever they go because of their markings and so forth but also because of their unique gifts they were also being taken and tortured or manipulated into using their gifts for acts of terrorism and things like that. This is not really a crossover at least not one I'm aware of any ways. I would like to think it is a completely original idea but I'm sure it is not.

3rd. To NCIS fan; I'm glad you like the story. Yes and no, since they were kept a secret most of society didn't know that they existed; if they had they would have integrated into society like they were when they were eventually discovered. The science community saw them as anomalies and they took them to study them and to try and harness their powers. There is a third kind of Guardian called a mover there will be some introduced a little later on.

So I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and as always I hope that you will leave me a review. =D

* * *

Chapter Three

Reacquainted

~~NCIS~~

It was some time later when Tony finally awoke from his nap. He wasn't sure what exactly had awoken him but something had startled him into awareness. Quickly looking around, he at first—due to the residual pain from his procedure—did not notice the silent figure standing in the dark by the door. It took his hazy mind a split second longer to finally register that he was not alone in the room anymore. Tony was not happy with this at all. As a cop he was well aware of the fact that it was the tenths of a second that could save your life and those of your team or get you all killed.

Finally having registered the newcomer's presence, he sat up on the side of the futon and found that he was much more relaxed and that his muscles didn't hurt as much. He cleared his throat and said, "You can come out of the dark now and turn on the light."

He cringed slightly when he heard the tone of his voice. He hadn't intended for it to sound as demanding as it had. He sighed internally and tried to shake of the irritation that he had woken up with. He had his head down, trying to put off the inevitable for as long as he could, when the lights flipped on and the sound of heels clicking on the ground came towards him. He carefully analyzed her from the sound of her footsteps.

Listening he determined that she was a smaller woman. He guessed, from the tempo of her stride that she was a laid back person, but he also noticed that there was an air of determination about them. All in all he would guess that she was a petite woman who was used to authority.

Slowly Tony lifted his head to look at the woman and what he saw took his breath away. The face; It was so familiar. He was sure that this was just a cruel twist of fate to bring him her look alike, rubbing in his face another of his many failures. He sat there starring at her and her; staring back at him. He noticed that she had stopped about half way to the chair that sat a few feet in front of him. The look on her face matched his he was sure. It was one of complete shock and disbelief. He was having trouble comprehending why she would be looking this way, unless . . . NO! It wasn't possible! He had seen her go down. He knew from experience that the wounds she suffered would have been fatal. Unless . . . he shook his head; it just couldn't be. Looking at her again he saw the same twelve year old girl who had helped him escape so many years ago.

She seemed to be having the same doubts as him.

Her face was a mask of incredulity and she openly searched his face questioningly, as if she were seeing a ghost. She slowly came forward and timidly reached out to touch him. But Tony shied away from her. Unwilling to be touched with so many suppressed memories and emotions swimming through his mind. He quickly moved to take a defensive position behind the couch. He felt infinitely in more control with a barrier between them.

He didn't understand why but Tony couldn't help the feelings that were taking over him. It was all so over whelming! One minute he was sure she was a ghost and the next just the sight of her was enough to make him become aroused. He was actually quite shocked by his bodies' reaction. As much as he proclaimed all of his conquest at the office, in reality he wasn't that active. Between his job and his bad experiences with women, he had become extremely cautious.

They stood a few feet away from each other silently observing and studying.

Without warning she moved closer and stood mere inches away from Tony's face. She inhaled deeply and smiling said, "I thought you dead."

"You did?" Asked Tony, uncertainly, while looking at her like she had gone crazy. If he remembered clearly she was the one who had sacrificed herself to help him escape.

She nodded hesitantly saying, "He . . . he told me you were dead and . . . he even showed me your body. Granted at the time I was very confused. I was weak from my injuries and he . . . he kept me heavily medicated. I . . . grieved for you . . . after that."

Tony nodded slowly before saying, "I thought you had died as well. I saw you go down and was for sure it was a kill shot. If . . . if I had known . . . I . . . I would have come back for you."

She smiled; it was a true smile that changed her whole face. It lightened her somewhat serious features and made her appear innocent. She sighed happily saying, "It all makes sense now; the way we bonded, how we have obviously grieved each other's assumed deaths, even now how our bodies are reacting to each other. We are matches!"

Tony looked at her incredulously. He instantly backed even further away from her and began to look somewhat frantically for the nearest exit. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. He had never heard of matches or what that even meant. And she didn't look like she was older than twenty-five. As if she had read his mind she smirked and said, "I am older than I look."

Tony tried to use his humor by saying, "Well I certainly hope so." But it came out as nervous and his voice squeaked at the end.

She just frowned at him saying, "It is not polite to judge people on looks alone Anthony DiNozzo."

"Hey!" He exclaimed, "You know my name but I don't know yours." He didn't know why that suddenly mattered but for some reason it did and he realized that he was becoming drawn to the woman in front of him. It was an almost irresistible pull. He swore he could almost physically feel the connection.

"Of course, how rude of me! My name is Layla. Layla Kandinsky."

He smiled his best smile at her and in his best Sean Connery impersonation said, "It's very nice to meet you Miss Kandinsky."

She giggled and smiled back at him saying, "It's nice to meet you too, Agent DiNozzo. Now may I come closer?"

He realized then that she had been inching ever closer, bit-by-bit.

He recognized it as the same technique that he would use on frightened victims or when he was trying to talk someone down. Something inside of him suddenly burst forth in protest at the thought of him being the same as someone that vulnerable and in an effort to counteract that image; Tony stepped forward; once again closing the gap between them. That tangible invisible connection growing stronger the closer they became. He smiled triumphantly down at her.

She smiled back at him and nodded approvingly. He didn't understand what was going on with him but he suddenly felt a twinge of embarrassment and shyness suddenly flashed through him. He looked hesitantly down at her and saw that she was watching him with understanding in her eyes. With that she stood on her tiptoes and began to kiss him. He was too shocked at first to do anything. But then it was like a primal instinct that invaded his body and took over and soon he began to control the kiss.

It was like fire coursing through his veins. He was instantly intoxicated by her taste, her smell, her very essence. It was overwhelming and overpowering taking such a strong, irreversible hold on him. Settling in his very soul and taking up residence there.

He found that as soon as this primal instinct took over Layla instantly took a more submissive role. She still pushed and demanded but she allowed him to set the pace and the tone.

Tony came back to his senses for a few seconds and quickly pulled back. Layla looked him searchingly and said, "I need you to trust me on this. I study this for a living. I know what I'm doing just let go. Our bodies will know what to do."

Tony instantly knew he could trust her. He didn't know how he knew but he just did. It pulsed through his veins like a drum. She leaned in again and began another kiss. This time Tony didn't fight it. He just allowed his body to react.

Soon he was functioning on pure instinct alone. He found himself moving his hands up and down her sides, slowly increasing the speed as his need increased.

He soon realized that she needed this just as much as he did. He found that the more his body responded, the more hers did as well and vice versa.

NCIS—NCIS

Gibbs and Ducky watched in astonishment from the observation room window as Tony and what appeared to be his new mate began what Dr. Krandle called the mating process.

Gibbs was drawn out of his reverie by Dr. Krandle; who had been explaining the mating process to Ducky, when he exclaimed suddenly, "This is really very exciting! We have never actually observed the whole entire process from start to finish! So many questions are being answered! So many grey areas are starting to clear up!"

Gibbs spun from his spot at the window and growled; "You did not just say that you are using my agent for your experiments!"

Dr. Krandle looked taken aback and quickly cried, "NO! Never! This is just simply the first time that this institution has had a mating take place from start to finish. Usually we catch them at the very end after the binding has taken place. To be able to see and then describe the bonding from observation point of view will help us understand the connection that the mated pair shares. I assure you agent Gibbs I am in no way experimenting with your agent."

"Agent Gibbs. We are on an 'observe only' basis in this facility. We do not control OR manipulate these occurrences in any way. That is why it has been so hard to catch a mating pair from start to finish. We have to catch them in the act we cannot force or manipulate the situation in any way. That is why being able to observe this phenomenon is such an exciting thing for my colleagues and myself. We will finally have firsthand knowledge of how this works."

Gibbs not totally convinced yet continued to glare at the doctor and incredulously asked, "You mean to tell me in all the years that this has been under observation that you haven't been able to catch one couple in the act from start to finish?"

The doctor sighed heavily and shaking his head said, "That is exactly what I am telling you Agent Gibbs. And it is just that simple. We have morals and a reputation that we take all precautions to uphold. Although they posses certain abilities these are still people Agent Gibbs. They process and emit feelings just like we do. They are not a sub human species. They don't deserve to be treated like it and in this facility and all its subsidiary and sister facility's you will never EVER find them being treated as such.

We have protocols that we adhere to strictly. These people are here by choice because they want to be and because we can offer them a safe place to live and raise their children Agent Gibbs and if they participate in an experiment then it is of their own free will and they are duly compensated for their time."

Gibbs just stood there finding himself justly chastised. Finally Ducky stepped up saying, "Am I correct in assuming that this is going to take awhile?"

Dr. Krandle nodded and said, "Yes at least 48 hours. I suggest that we take our leave now. I will have a guard put on the door so as to keep them from being disturbed."

With that the small group broke up Dr. Krandle heading in one direction and Ducky dragging Gibbs off in the other. Ducky just shook his head thinking that things were never easy for his young friend.

TBC . . .


End file.
